Remember the children’s book Everyone Poops?
Written by Taro Gomi, it shows all kinds of animals, including humans,
in action. The reader sees animals pooping in water, on the move, and
covering up their business with dirt. In the end, people are shown using
the toilet, toilet paper, and flushing away.
We’re all for keeping things clean “down there,” but our use of TP is leaving behind some pretty dirty business.
What’s So Bad About Toilet Paper?
Toilet paper has such a large environmental impact that the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) published not one, not two, but three reports in three years about the crisis.
Americans are the heaviest per capita users of toilet paper in the world. Most major U.S. brands rely on wood from the Canadian boreal forest. This forest is particularly important from a climate standpoint. According to NRDC reports:
“This great northern forest is the most carbon-dense, intact
forest left on the planet, locking up in its soils and trees twice as
much carbon as the world’s oil reserves.”
Logging in the boreal forest releases an estimated 26.4 million metric tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. That’s roughly a quarter of all the carbon emitted from all the trucks in cars in the U.S. in 2019. Among the ways that toilet paper adds carbon into the atmosphere:
Logging disrupts carbon within the soil.
The forest’s ability to absorb carbon is reduced.
When the TP breaks down, it releases more carbon.
It’s Made With Mostly Virgin Fibers
We’re finally having a national and global conversation about
reducing our consumption of resources. Yet there is little progress in
replacing virgin fibers with recycled paper content for toilet paper.
TP manufacturers rely heavily on virgin wood fibers to create their
products. They are reluctant to seek alternatives due in part to
consumer demand and expectations. Yet using post-consumer recycled
content has significant benefits. Toilet paper made with post-consumer recycled content:
Has a smaller carbon footprint
Requires less energy to clean and separate fibers
Uses fewer harsh chemicals, including bleach, in its processes
Uses less water
How Much TP Do We Use?
Each person in the U.S. uses an estimated 141 rolls of toilet paper per year. Despite accounting for about 4% of the global population, Americans use 20%
of the world’s toilet paper. Disturbingly, if you measured the toilet
paper an average American uses in their lifetime, it would equal about 634 miles.
Looking at that another way, it takes one tree to make roughly 1,500 rolls of toilet paper. That comes out to over 31 million trees to make just one year’s supply of TP for everyone in the U.S.
The average per-person use of TP in Portugal, Germany, and the U.K. is 137, 134, and 127 rolls, respectively.
Not everyone uses this much TP, though. A recent study
looked at the average use of this paper product throughout the world
and found that Italy, France, and Finland use less than one-half of the
amount we use in the U.S. Many countries use even less. Check out the
study’s per-country usage findings in the following interactive chart.
And in some places, people don’t use any toilet paper.
Everyone Poops — But Not Everyone Uses Toilet Paper
While pooping is universal, using toilet paper isn’t. Less than 30%
of the world’s population uses toilet paper. That leaves a whopping 4
billion people who don’t. In some places, it’s because of access. People
either don’t have money to spend on TP, or there’s none to be had. In
other places it’s cultural.
What do people use instead? Mostly water.
Give Bidets a Try
In countries across Asia, Europe, and South America, people use bidets instead of toilet paper. Bidets come in many forms. All of them involve spraying water on your bottom to keep it clean.
Bidets are catching on slowly in the U.S., due to their lower environmental impact. Even Forbes magazine advocates switching to a bidet. They state that bidets are “more hygienic and better for the environment.”
(There are health conditions that bidets are not recommended for, so check with your physician before using one.)
Not a Fan of Bidets? Try Better Toilet Paper
We’re creatures of habit. We don’t like change, so a large-scale
switch to bidets isn’t likely anytime soon. But switching toilet paper
brands isn’t such a big change.
If you can’t imagine not wiping your backside, there are better-for-the-planet TP brands. Earth911 has a buying guide to help you find more sustainable TP brands. The guide ranks brands according to several factors:
Raw materials sourcing
Manufacturing process impacts
Price
Shipping distance
Life cycle of paper and packaging
Distribution distance
CO2 emissions
The guide also looks at certifications and charitable giving for each company. Reel, Bim Bam Boo, and Who Gives a Crap earned the highest marks.
Consider Using Less Toilet Paper
If nothing else, be conscious of how much TP you use. Do you really
need a huge cushion of squares for a single wipe? Several readers have
suggested that using single-ply toilet paper can reduce the
environmental impact but a recent University of Pennsylvania study found that there was no substantial difference in single-ply versus double-ply. Single-ply TP is better for septic systems but people tend to use more paper if it is thinner.
The biggest change starts with your bathroom habits. By paying
attention, you may discover you automatically rip off more squares than
you really need for a given wipe. And reducing your use of TP isn’t just
better for the planet; you’ll save money, too!
This article was originally published on March 10, 2022.
If you stopand think that really is a lot of toilet paper that gets flushed away!!
The blog song for today is: "Astronomy Domine" by Pink Floyd
DIY
EcoTech
Home & Garden
How & Buy
Living & Well-Being
Carbon Calculating: Estimating Your Home Energy Impact
ByMitch Ratcliffe
Feb 20, 2023carbon calculator, carbon-footprint-energy, home energy
The dozens of carbon
calculators available as apps and on the web provide widely divergent
estimates of your carbon footprint. Whether you choose to use one of the
many calculators or want to assemble your own estimate — from finding
and understanding your home energy usage to assessing a carbon
calculator’s results — this article will break down how to track the
impact of home electricity, natural gas, fuel oil, or propane use.
As mentioned in the first article in this series,
carbon calculators use different formulas and estimated CO2 emissions.
We entered the same data in five web-based carbon calculators and
received strikingly different total emissions estimates, as well as
radically different shares of the total carbon footprint attributed to
home energy use. The differences raise significant concerns about the
accuracy of each of the calculators.
Earth911
compared six web-based carbon calculator estimates of home energy
emissions, shown here compared to the total carbon footprint reported
for the household. Karma Wallet does not break out the energy total.
(Click for a larger image.)
Each calculator we tested has strengths and weaknesses. The reality
is that you will probably need to use parts of several calculators to
get the most accurate cumulative carbon footprint for your household.
Before we explore which ones offer the most trustworthy home energy
estimates, let’s walk through the information you need to have at hand.
If you are a DIYer, you will find the formulas for making your own calculations at the end of this article.
Collecting the Data
To get started, find your utility bills to help you determine your
home energy use. Try to collect a full year’s worth of your electric
bills as well as other energy bills, such as fossil fuel, natural gas,
fuel oil, or propane. Carbon calculators ask for this information by
month or as an annual total.
Electricity
Your electricity bill presents power consumption in kilowatt-hours,
which represent the number off watts of energy needed to power a
1,000-watt microwave oven for an hour, for example. Look for “kWh” on
your electricity bills, add up a year’s worth of bills to arrive at the
annual total, then divide by 12 to get your monthly average electricity
consumption. Whether the calculator you use asks for monthly or annual
kilowatt-hours, you’re ready.
Most carbon calculators ask for electric data in kWh, but you may
also find calculators that ask for your monthly or annual spending on
electricity. Based on our experience, spending is a less reliable way to
estimate electricity usage than exact usage based on kWh because local
rates vary. Calculators that use spending must apply guesswork to
estimate your usage.
In addition to your electricity usage, the source of your power makes
a big difference to your environmental impact. If you get a significant
percentage of renewable sources, such as hydro-electric, solar, or
wind, the energy footprint is lower than someone who relies on fossil
fuel generation.
Only two of the calculators we used, Doconomy and the EPA’s, asked
about use of renewable energy. However, Doconomy asks only if you have
renewable energy, not the percentage of electricity that is renewable,
allocating CO2 emissions based on the assumption you either have access
to all-renewable or no renewable energy. A simple yes/no question
doesn’t deal with our realities. The EPA calculator, on the other hand,
asks you to enter the specific percentage, which we recommend to ensure
you get an accurate emissions report.
Local renewable percentages depend on your utility’s decisions about
how to generate or where they buy energy. For example, where we live, in
Western Washington, Pierce County enjoys 89% renewable energy while in
Eastern Washington, Whitman County gets only 41% of its power from
renewables. But statewide, the typical resident’s renewable energy
percentage is 85% because most of the population lives on the western
side of the state, where renewables dominate.
Many utilities will list the percentage of renewable energy you
receive on your bill or in an annual customer report. If you don’t know
your local renewable percentage, the U.S. Energy Information Administration provides state-level information
about electric energy sourcing. Click on your state and choose the
Electricity tab in the state report. You will have to do a bit of math
to calculate your renewable percentage by mousing over the bar in the
chart seen below to get the data about all your power sources.
The EIA’s state-level data can be used to estimate a renewable energy percentage for use in a carbon calculator.
Natural Gas
Methane gas, or “natural gas,” consumption is presented in several
different units including therms (each therm equals 100,000 British
thermal units, the equivalent of heat created by 29.3072 kWh of
electricity), “ccf,” which represents hundreds of cubic feet of gas
delivered per month, and “mcf,” which counts cubic feet by thousands.
You may need to convert ccf into mcf, or vice versa, to use a
specific calculator — pay attention to the unit of measure requested
because entering your gas usage in the wrong unit can throw your impact
results off by a factor of ten. To convert ccf into mcf, divide by your
total ccf by 10; going the other way, multiply your mcf by 10 to get
total ccf.
Fuel Oil
Burning oil to generate heat in the home
has been on the decline since the oil crisis of the 1970s. But several
states still see significant use of oil, including the top five (in
order): New York, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Maine, and Connecticut.
You will enter your fuel oil usage in gallons or by the dollaramount
you spend — that data will be shown on your bill. Add up a year’s worth
of bills and divide the total by 12 to get an average monthly fuel oil
usage to use in your calculation. And because local rates vary, we
recommend using the actual volume of oil and not the monthly spending
for more accurate results.
Propane
This form of gas, which differs from methane chemically, is still in
use in tens of millions of homes in the U.S. All the carbon calculators
we tested that included propane as an option requested either a monthly
or annual volume in gallons.
The Calculators
For this article, we focused on calculators offered on websites, but
app-based calculators behave in similar ways. In the final article in
this series, we will present a review of all the app and web calculators
tested.
Environmental Protection Agency Carbon Calculator
Grades Energy estimate:A- Total footprint estimate:D-
The EPA Carbon Calculator
asked for the most information, including the percentage of renewable
energy in your home’s electricity supply, to estimate energy-related
emissions. The renewable energy data we entered clearly reduced the
total energy footprint estimate for our three-person household. When we
compared the EPA’s energy results to our manual calculation, it was the
closest estimate received, followed by the Wren calculator.
Unfortunately, the EPA calculator does not cover all the categories of
emissions necessary to provide a comprehensive footprint estimate.
Because it does not cover all the ways we generated emissions,
offering estimates only for home heating and energy, driving, and the
impact of recycling choices, the EPA calculator does not help
individuals make many decisions that could reduce their environmental
impact. It misses too many emissions.
CoolClimate Network
Grades Energy estimate:C+ Total footprint estimate:B+
A project of the University of California, Apple, Meta, and the Nature Conservancy, the CoolClimate Household Impact Calculator
provides the most detailed analysis of all aspects household carbon
impacts in this review. While the home energy estimate includes entries
for number of people in the household, percentage of renewable energy
used, and volume-based entries for electricity and natural gas use, the
estimated footprint for our home energy was clearly too low,
representing only a third of the emissions actually generated.
The CoolClimate calculator does a great job by providing many
detailed entries for air travel; number and type of vehicles driven;
meat, dairy, and fish consumption; and spending on goods and services,
for example. However, it also inserts arbitrary assumptions that cannot
be adjusted for annual construction, furniture, and clothing spending
that added 15% to our estimated total footprint. If those entries were
customizable, the calculator would be even better.
Another shortcoming is a lack of a clearly defined methodology.
CoolClimate points to a research paper that explains how models can
predict carbon emissions but does not address how the estimate is
generated. Note that this calculator asks for gas usage in cubic feet,
not ccf or mcf. If your bill provides usage information in ccf, multiply
by ten before you enter your data; if your bill displays mcf, multiply
by 100.
TerraPass
Grades Energy estimate:D- Total footprint estimate:D+
In the first article in this series, we pointed out that calculators
tied to the sale of carbon offsets typically make substantially higher
estimates than calculators that do not offer offsets. TerraPass’ Individual Calculator
results don’t make clear sense in two ways. Based on the same data we
entered in the other calculators, TerraPass presents a total footprint
that is almost twice the amount of the next highest estimate.
Compounding our confusion, the TerraPass energy-related results account
for 90.2% of the total emissions — home energy usage should reasonably
be half or less of a total carbon footprint.
TerraPass does not account for use of renewable energy. And like the
EPA calculator, TerraPass does not collect any food, shopping, or
services data, which are essential to understanding your total
footprint. On the other hand, the TerraPass estimates for driving and
air travel are solid. They ask for specific information about what kind
of cars you drive and the number of length of flights you take annually
to deliver largely accurate estimate of travel impacts.
Doconomy
Grades Energy estimate:D Total footprint estimate:F
Doconomy and the United Nations partnered to create a European focused carbon calculator
that covers a wide range of household impacts, including energy,
driving, air travel, food, and shopping choices, as well as the
emissions created by the services you use. However, every aspect of the
tool produced surprisingly low emissions estimates. For example,
Doconomy estimated that our annual home energy impact is only 3,840
lbs., and our food-related emissions only 540 lbs. That’s clearly
incorrect and results in a very low estimate compared to the other
calculators and our manual estimate of emissions. The low estimate may
make you feel better about yourself, but you’ll be unprepared to make
changes that lower your impact.
As noted in the discussion of electricity, Doconomy asks whether you
buy renewable energy, treating your yes or no answer as representing
100% of the power used, according to its published methodology.
Except for a home that relies only on its solar or wind generation
capacity, Doconomy’s assumption about renewable energy is not applicable
to anyone connected to the grid. One positive: Doconomy sells offsets
but delivered the lowest estimated overall footprint among the offset
vendors reviewed in this article. We’d like to see them refine and
improve the formula and assumptions that drive their results.
Wren
Grades Energy estimate:B- Total footprint estimate:C
Another carbon offset seller, the Wren carbon calculator
provides one of the most comprehensive assessment of a household’s
carbon impact. In addition to home energy estimates, Wren calculates
driving and air travel emissions, as well as food (including pet food),
shopping, and services impacts. The site’s total annual estimate was the
third highest, but far more conservative than TerraPass and Karma
Wallet. However, Wren does not publish its methodology, so it is
difficult to validate its estimates. Its home energy estimate is based
in part on the ZIP code entered. In our case, adding the ZIP code
lowered our estimated impact by 31.6%.
Karma Wallet
Grades Energy estimate:F Total footprint estimate:D+
The Karma Wallet calculator
takes a completely different approach than the manual-entry calculators
above. It analyzes your spending by tracking credit card and bank
transactions. As we’ve noted about spending-based estimates, it is
impossible to extrapolate with useful precision the amount of
electricity, natural gas, or other units of energy used from the price
paid without extensive context. Karma Wallet does not break out the
individual categories of emissions, providing only a total emissions
estimate. Our Karma Wallet results were 23.2% higher than the average
reported by all the other calculators reviewed here.
Karma Wallet offers two way to take action. It suggests alternatives
to your current spending, such as switching from one wireless carrier to
another (with cashback offers), and provides offsets for purchase. The
guidance about choosing more environmentally responsible companies to
buy from would be useful if the actual impact of those choices was
clearly presented, but the tool only compares a sustainability rating
without explaining how a change reduces carbon emissions. This
potentially useful tool requires the user to take too much on faith
because there is no quantitative data about categories of your current
carbon impact or how making changes will reduce emissions.
The DIY Way
Checking the work of third-party calculators can help you make
confident decisions. But we know doing the math isn’t everyone’s cup of
tea. If you’d like to do your own estimates, here are simple formulas
for calculating the sources of each of the major types of home energy.
For example, when calculating a carbon footprint for a home that uses
electricity and natural gas, you’ll need to add the totals for all the
energy sources to arrive your cumulative home energy footprint.
We’ve provided average emissions factors for each type of energy based on the EPA’s reporting.
Keep in mind that local factors, such as the condition of your furnace
and specific sources of gas, oil, or renewable energy affect your actual
impact. Alas, estimates are not reality. We recommend asking your local
utility for the emissions factors of their energy sources to improve your estimate.
Electricity, No Renewable Sources
Depending on what your utility burns to generate electricity, the
emissions will vary. Here are formulas for three common fuels used to
generate electricity in commercial plants.
The EPA reports the emissions factors for combustible fuels in
millions of British Thermal Units (mmBtus). We included a step to
convert the hours reported on your electric bill into the equivalent
mmBtus, which involves multiplying the number of kWh by
0.0034095106405145. The EPA also provides emissions factors per mmBtus
are provided in kilograms, so the final step, multiplying the result by
2.2046, converts the result in kilograms to imperial pounds. If the U.S.
would embraced the metric system, this would be easier. When using a
calculator, enter the values in BOLD below.
Mixed Coal
The energy industry typically uses mixed coal, which has an emissions
factor of 95.52 kg per mmBtu, to power electricity generation plants.
The formula to find your home’s energy emissions is:
CO2 emissions (in lbs.) = (YOUR TOTAL ANNUAL kWh) * (0.0034095106405145 MMBtu/kWh) * (95.52 kg CO2/MMBtu) * 2.20462
Natural Gas
Many utilities burn natural gas in peaker plants, which come online
during periods of high demand. But some utilities rely on natural gas
around the clock, accounting for 37% of all the natural gas burned in
the U.S., about 11.27 trillion cubic feet in 2021, according to the EIA. If your utility sources most electricity from natural gas, here’s the calculation you need to perform:
CO2 emissions (in lbs.) = (YOUR TOTAL ANNUAL kWh) * (0.0034095106405145 MMBtu/kWh) * (53.06 kg CO2/MMBtu) * 2.20462
Biomass or Landfill Gas
Capturing and burning gasses produced in landfills and from
processing organic waste, sometimes referred to as biogas or renewable
gas, sounds pretty green. But burning fuels emit CO2, regardless of
where they came from. These gasses accounted for about 0.2% of
utility-scale electricity generation in 2021, according to the EIA. Here is the home energy carbon footprint formula for biogas:
CO2 emissions (in lbs.) = (YOUR TOTAL ANNUAL kWh) * (0.0034095106405145 MMBtu/kWh) * (52.07 kg CO2/MMBtu) * 2.20462
Electricity With Renewable Sources
The percentage of renewable energy you use can change your total
energy footprint significantly. To find information about how much wind,
solar, or hydroelectric power your utility uses, along with the source
of the rest of your energy, refer to the EIA website
we mentioned earlier. To find your adjusted emissions based on the mix
of fossil fuel and renewable energy powering your home, we add a step to
the previous fossil fuel calculation (we use mixed coal in this
example), highlighted below in italics:
CO2 emissions (in lbs.) = (YOUR TOTAL ANNUAL kWh) * (0.0034095106405145 MMBtu/kWh) * (95.52 kg CO2/MMBtu) * 2.20462 * 1 – (1 – YOUR RENEWABLE ENERGY PERCENTAGE EXPRESSED AS DECIMAL)
Fuel Oil
A fuel oil furnace operates like a power plant without a mechanism
for converting the heat into energy — it’s heating your house, instead.
The formula is similar to the oil-fired electricity calculation above,
and uses the CO2 emissions factor of 24.78 lbs. of CO2 per gallon:
Total CO2 emissions = YOUR ANNUAL OIL USE IN GALLONS * 24.76
Propane
Propane is easier on the atmosphere but still emits 12.68 lbs. of CO2 per gallon burned. To find your propane carbon footprint:
Total CO2 emissions = YOUR ANNUAL PROPANE USE IN GALLONS * 24.76
It looks quite complicated when you first read it, but I should imagine after a few attempts it will get a bit easier. It would appear that the Wren calculator is one of the best of them. I have yet to try it out for myself, we are in the middle of moving house and the new one is completely solar powered (off grid), so we are a bit busy! We plan on using solar powered generators as back up. There are many more homes on Menorca with solar energy which is great, they are also building solar farms. The blog song for today is: "The tide is high" by BlondieTTFN
Acuerdo histórico de la ONU para el Tratado Global de los Océanos
05-03-2023
Este acuerdo mantiene vivo el objetivo de proteger el 30% de los océanos para 2030
Países como España, entre otros, han sido actores clave para conseguir el acuerdo
Los países ahora deben adoptar y ratificar formalmente el tratado
Nueva York, 4 de marzo de 2023.- Finalmente se ha acordado un histórico Tratado de la ONU sobre los océanos después de casi dos décadas de negociaciones.
El texto pasará ahora por la edición técnica y la traducción, antes de
ser adoptado oficialmente en otra sesión. Este tratado es una victoria
monumental para la protección de los océanos y una señal importante de
que el multilateralismo aún funciona en un mundo cada vez más dividido.
El acuerdo de este tratado mantiene vivo el objetivo 30×30 –proteger el 30% de los océanos del mundo para 2030–
pues proporciona un camino para crear áreas total o altamente
protegidas en los océanos del mundo. Todavía hay deficiencias en el
texto, y los gobiernos deben asegurarse de que el tratado se implemente
de manera efectiva y equitativa.
Reproductor de vídeo
00:00
01:14
“Hoy
es un día histórico para la conservación y una señal de que en un mundo
dividido, proteger la naturaleza y las personas puede triunfar sobre la
geopolítica. Elogiamos a los países por buscar compromisos, dejar de
lado las diferencias y emitir un tratado que nos permitirá proteger los
océanos, aumentar nuestra resiliencia al cambio climático y salvaguardar
las vidas y los medios de subsistencia de miles de millones de personas”, ha declarado Pilar Marcos, responsable de Océanos en la delegación de Greenpeace en Naciones Unidas. “Por
fin podemos pasar de las palabras a un cambio real en el mar. Los
países deben adoptar y ratificar y ratificar formalmente el tratado, lo
más rápido posible para que entre en vigor, y luego poder crear los
santuarios marinos que nuestro planeta necesita. El tiempo sigue
corriendo para poder alcanzar el objetivo de protección 30×30. Nos queda
media década y no podemos ser complacientes”.
La High Ambition Coalition,
que incluye a la UE, EE.UU., Reino Unido, y China han sido actores
clave en la negociación del acuerdo. Ambos mostraron voluntad de
compromiso en los últimos días de negociaciones y han construido
coaliciones en lugar de sembrar división. Los Pequeños Estados Insulares
han mostrado liderazgo a lo largo del proceso, y el grupo G77 ha
abierto el camino para garantizar que el tratado se pueda poner en
práctica de manera justa y equitativa.
La distribución justa de los
beneficios económicos de los recursos genéticos marinos ha sido un punto
clave del conflicto en las negociaciones. Y su resolución ha tenido que
esperar hasta el último día de las conversaciones. La sección del
tratado sobre Áreas Marinas Protegidas elimina la toma de decisiones
basada en el consenso, algo que no ha logrado proteger los océanos a
través de organismos regionales existentes como la Comisión del Océano
Antártico. Si bien todavía hay conflictos importantes en el texto, es un
tratado viable que es un punto de partida para proteger el 30% de los
océanos del mundo.
El objetivo 30×30, acordado en la
COP15 de Biodiversidad, no sería posible sin este tratado histórico. Es
vital que los países ratifiquen urgentemente este tratado y comiencen a
trabajar para crear vastos santuarios marinos totalmente protegidos que
cubran el 30% de los océanos para 2030.
A partir de ahora comienza el arduo
trabajo de ratificación y protección de los océanos. Debemos aprovechar
este impulso para deshacernos de nuevas amenazas, como la minería
submarina, y centrarnos en implementar la protección. Más de 5,5 millones de personas firmaron una petición de Greenpeace pidiendo un tratado ambicioso. Ésta es una victoria para todos ellos y ellas.
Estupendo noticia, que bueno. Ahora todo la gente tiene que hacer su parte.
El cancion de hoy: " Here comes the sun" de los Beatles
Sometimes climate change seems far away, then we’re hit with
heatwaves, droughts, floods and fires. 2022’s summer of disasters broke records.
Whether you cursed or loved the UK’s hot summer, there’s no shying away from the changes in our environment. Climate change and extreme weather affects us all and unfolds unequally across the world.
Yet climate disasters are often reported in isolation. We hear about
one after another in a parade of bad news. We hear about the lives lost,
the places destroyed and the urgent appeals for aid. It seems like it’s
getting worse. But rarely do news reports give us time to grasp the
scale of what’s happening.
If this summer or its headlines left you reeling, this article might
make you even angrier. We’re delving into the summer’s environmental
events to look at how the climate crisis is unfolding in front of us.
It’ll be bleak reading at times, but I want you to bear with me. Because
here’s the thing: there is a short time to do something to stop the
worst impacts. But we won’t want to take action if the climate crisis seems abstract, instead of something happening now. Welcome to 2022’s summer snapshot.
A
man and boy use a satellite dish to move children across a flooded
area.
Heavy monsoon rains pounded parts of Pakistan in August,
After eight weeks of non-stop rain, severe flooding has devastated
Pakistan. Over 1000 people are dead and millions have lost their homes.
Flash flooding and destroyed river banks are two reasons for the high
death toll. This monsoon has caused an enormous human disaster.
Pakistan is vulnerable to climate change.
Its location means it can experience heatwaves and drought, and intense
rains. Pakistan is also home to the most glaciers (huge ice sheets) in
the world outside of the north and south pole, which can melt as the
world gets hotter. Although Pakistan does get monsoon rains, the amount of rain this year was above average. Heavy rainfall and burst river banks made this year’s flooding extreme.
So is climate change to blame for this “monster monsoon”? Scientists say it’s likely. A rapid study suggests that rainfall may have been more intense due to global warming – a “monsoon on steroids”. This echoes analysis of Pakistan’s 2010 ‘superflood’ that “was made more likely by global heating, which drove fiercer rains.”
Rubble
and destruction of a UK housing estate after a large blaze.
Fires broke
out as the UK experienced a record-breaking heatwave.
The UK had two heatwaves this summer. It experienced its hottest temperature yet, hitting a new record-high of 40.3ºC. For some, it’ll have felt like a sunny holiday from the grey drizzle Britain is famed for. But for others, the sweltering levels of heat were difficult at best and life-threatening at worst.
As well as extreme heat, the UK has had 745 wildfires so far – more than the whole of 2021. UK wildfires may not be as extreme as places like Australia or North America, but they’re still tricky for firefighters to deal with.
How much of the UK’s heatwave was down to climate change? Well, recent analysis found climate change made the heatwave at least 10 times more likely and 4ºC hotter – and that’s a conservative estimate.
Extreme heat isn’t just happening in the UK. Earlier this year, India
and Pakistan suffered intense and record-breaking temperatures.
Scientists say these were 30 times more likely thanks to climate change. Their 2010 heatwave was made 100 times more likely by the climate crisis. Did you get that? 100 times! Likewise, scientists found the extreme heat in Canada and the US in 2021 was also “virtually impossible” without climate change.
Droughts causing food and water shortages worldwide
Europe is facing its worst drought for 500 years. A very dry winter and spring combined with record-shattering summer heat means there hasn’t been enough rain. With little rainfall, rivers are drying up and the soil is cracking, causing fish to die and crops to fail. And revealed by the drought, ‘hunger stones’ reading “If you see me then weep” chillingly warn of what may come.
It feels unsettling because it’s so close to home. But drought is affecting many countries beyond Europe too. Places like Somalia and Ethiopia are facing hunger and famine due to drought-caused food and water shortages. China saw the most severe heatwave ever recorded, causing parts of the country and its main river to dry up. It’s affecting water supplies, food and energy production, and may affect the rest of the world too. Parts of the US are also in a drought, as is Iraq. It’s happening all over the world, so how much is down to climate change?
Droughts don’t necessarily have one cause. They tend to build up over a period of time, rather than from a one-off weather event. But some scientific studies have found links between drought patterns and human-caused climate change.
With human influence seen in how intense drought and extreme rain
patterns are, and changes to tropical rain zones. More recent analysis
also shows the link between climate change and extreme weather events, like droughts.
South
Sudanese refugees stand in flooded waters to repair their hut.
Heavy
rain submerged nearly 50 villages in South Sudan in 2021,
People lose homes after flooding in Sudan and South Sudan
Sudan saw one of its worst rainy seasons ever this summer. People
were forced to abandon their homes as the water flooded in and destroyed
everything. By the end of August, about 258,000 people were affected and more than 100 people died in Sudan. It’s another human crisis, which Sudan and South Sudan have seen before.
Extreme weather is becoming a pattern in the region. 2021 brought heavy rain and floods to South Sudan, which killed more than 80 people and swamped thousands of homes. In 2020, Sudan was declared a natural disaster area as floods killed about 100 people and destroyed homes and farmland. In 2019, flooding affected millions in South Sudan and several thousands in Sudan. Year on year of severe flooding means people are displaced over and over, with little time to rebuild between.
Sudan and South Sudan are among the most vulnerable to climate
change. As the planet warms, the region is expected to experience rain
that’s unpredictable. Rain may also be heavier, which increases risk of floods and waterborne diseases. As well as irregular and heavy rains, hotter temperatures mean droughts may happen more often. This affects farming, as water sources dry up and the land turns to desert. It puts enormous pressure on the people who live there. And is especially unfair as places like Sudan and South Sudan contribute the least to climate change, yet suffer the most.
The
Oak Fire incinerates a forest in California.
The wildfire ripped
through thousands of acres in July following
Wildfires that are too fast to escape in California
Behind names like Creek, Dixie and Monument
are some of the many wildfires that California has faced in recent
years. This summer is no different as several wildfires erupted across
the region. McKinney is the largest; it burned about 60,000 acres of land, destroyed 87 homes and killed 4 people. Other fires have begun since then and reports say they’re becoming too fast to escape.
Of course, it’s not only the US that faces wildfires. Australia’s
‘Black Summer’ bushfires in 2019-20 were colossal. WWF declared them “one of the worst wildlife disasters in modern history”. And three years on, people who survived the fires are still waiting for homes. Fires also raze the Amazon, parts of Asia and even the Arctic. Though most wildfires happen in Africa.
As far as climate change goes, studies suggest that rising
temperatures create perfect conditions for fire. California’s wildfires
could turn into megafires, as hot, dry and windy days increase. Climate change is also making fire seasons last longer – Australia’s bushfire season is almost a month longer than 40 years ago.
While climate change affects wildfire risk differently for each region,
what we know is this: if the world keeps getting hotter, the risk of wildfires goes up and wildfire season gets longer.
In June, the worst floods for a century hit north-east Bangladesh and parts of India. The flooding killed over 100 people and stranded more than 9.5 million people across both countries, with the most affected in Bangladesh. And it happened as people were still recovering from flooding in May this year.
Monsoon rains are part of the rainy season that rages across south Asia in summer. But this year, the rain acted differently:
rains were heavier and began earlier than usual. People were unprepared
for intense rainfall and the region became engulfed by severe flooding.
How much was this change in rain behaviour down to climate change?
In general, it’s hard to fully predict how climate change will affect rainfall worldwide.
But scientists agree that south Asia is likely to get wetter. Like its
neighbours India and Pakistan, Bangladesh could experience both extreme
heat and extreme rain. Some experts warn that as temperatures rise, the risk of flooding goes up
in Bangladesh. Basically: dry days increase and rainy days may become
unpredictable and more intense. So it’ll rain less often, but when it
happens, it’ll pour hard.
Greenpeace
Romania activists protest in the middle of the dried up
Danube
riverbed, halfway between Romania and Bulgaria.
Extreme weather may get worse – we need to act now
If 2022 shows us anything, it’s that extreme weather is here. Heatwaves, drought and floods are happening more often, and more intensely all across the world.
Records are getting broken each year, for a grave human and
environmental cost. We’re already feeling the impact. And extreme
weather events are set to become worse and happen more as the climate
crisis continues. So if you thought this year was bad for the climate,
the years coming could be worse.
Instead of sitting to wait for catastrophe, we need to act. We need
to pressure governments and corporations to act. We must wind down
fossil fuel use and cut emissions to avoid making the climate crisis
worse. Governments and corporations must do as much as possible, as
quickly as possible, to make this happen.
But we must also face up to what’s happening already. Doing nothing
makes it more expensive and harder to solve these problems in future. As
well as reducing emissions, we need to ramp up efforts to adapt to hotter, drier, wetter, fierier and stormier conditions worldwide. For the UK that means the government should invest in things like: insulating our homes
which should generally help keep them cool in summer, improving water
storage capacity so we can withstand drought, and improving
infrastructure like railways to cope with extreme weather.
This summer shows us we’re living with environmental extremes
already. Bringing these stories together shows us the scale of what’s
happening in the weather right now. So the question is, how will we act?
Take action
People like me have been screaming for something to be done for years,now the crisis is upon us please let something happen.
So far this year food prices have gone up, and supplies down, nearly everyone I know has cut down on their spending.
The blog song for today is: " Break on through (to the other side)" by the Doors.
Oil
and gas giant Shell has reported record annual profits after energy
prices surged last year following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Profits hit $39.9bn (£32.2bn) in 2022, double last year's total and the highest in its 115-year history.
Energy firms have seen record earnings since oil and gas prices jumped following the invasion of Ukraine.
It has heaped pressure on firms to pay more tax as households struggle with rising bills.
Opposition
parties said Shell's profits were "outrageous" and the government was
letting energy firms "off the hook". They also called for the planned
increase in the energy price cap due in April to be scrapped.
Energy
prices had begun to climb after the end of Covid lockdowns but rose
sharply in March last year after the events in Ukraine led to worries
over supplies.
The
price of Brent crude oil reached nearly $128 a barrel following the
invasion, but has since fallen back to about $83. Gas prices also spiked
but have come down from their highs.
How much windfall tax are oil giants paying?
BP profit jump sparks calls for bigger windfall tax
White House calls Exxon record profit 'outrageous'
It has led to bumper profits for energy companies, but also fuelled a rise in energy bills for households and businesses.
Last year, the UK government introduced a windfall tax - called the Energy Profits Levy - on the "extraordinary" earnings of firms to help fund its scheme to lower gas and electricity bills.
Despite
the move, Shell had said it did not expect to pay any UK tax this year
as it is allowed to offset decommissioning costs and investments in UK
projects against any UK profits.
However, on Thursday it said was due to pay $134m in UK windfall tax for 2022, and expected to pay more than $500m in 2023.
Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,
Gas prices spiked after Russia's invasion of Ukraine
This
may look small compared to its profits but Shell only derives around 5%
of its revenue from the UK - the rest is made and taxed in other
jurisdictions.
However,
critics point out that Shell is a UK-headquartered company and has been
paying more to its shareholders than it spends on renewable
investments.
The announcement has increased pressure on Rishi Sunak and Jeremy Hunt to raise more money from oil and gas profits.
A
Downing Street official said they "absolutely" understand anger at the
"extraordinary" profits but indicated there are no plans to increase the
windfall tax.
The prime minister's spokesman said questions about potential changes were "for the chancellor" when pressed by reporters.
The
government "is ready to take action" if falling wholesale energy costs
aren't reflected in lower prices at the petrol pump, the official added
without detailing specific measures.
The government is currently limiting gas and electricity bills so a household using a typical amount of energy will pay £2,500 a year.
However,
that is still more than twice what it was before Russia's invasion, and
the threshold is due to rise to £3,000 in April.
The
government's windfall tax only applies to profits made from extracting
UK oil and gas. The rate was originally set at 25%, but has now been
increased to 35%.
Oil
and gas firms also pay 30% corporation tax on their profits as well as a
supplementary 10% rate. Along with the new windfall tax, that takes
their total tax rate to 75%.
However,
companies are able to reduce the amount of tax they pay by factoring in
losses or spending on things like decommissioning North Sea oil
platforms. It has meant that in recent years, energy giants such as BP
and Shell have paid little or no tax in the UK.
'Fair share'
The
annual profit figure far surpassed Shell's previous record set in 2008.
The company also said it had paid out $6.3bn to its shareholders in the
final three months of 2022, and that it planned another $4bn share
buyback.
Shell
chief executive Wael Sawan said that these are "incredibly difficult
times - we are seeing inflation rampant around the world" but that Shell
was playing its part by investing in renewable technologies.
Its
chief financial officer Sinead Gorman added that Shell had paid $13bn
in taxes globally in 2022. It had also accounted for 11% of liquified
natural gas shipments into the EU, easing pressure on supplies caused by
sanctions on Russia.
Labour's
shadow climate change secretary Ed Miliband said: "As the British
people face an energy price hike of 40% in April, the government is
letting the fossil fuel companies making bumper profits off the hook
with their refusal to implement a proper windfall tax.
"Labour
would stop the energy price cap going up in April, because it is only
right that the companies making unexpected windfall profits from the
proceeds of war pay their fair share."
Liberal
Democrat leader Ed Davey said: "No company should be making these kind
of outrageous profits out of Putin's illegal invasion of Ukraine.
"They must tax the oil and gas companies properly and at the very least ensure that energy bills don't rise yet again in April."
TUC general secretary Paul Nowak called for ministers to impose a larger windfall tax, adding: "The time for excuses is over."
He
continued: "Instead of holding down the pay of paramedics, teachers,
firefighters and millions of other hard-pressed public servants,
ministers should be making big oil and gas pay their fair share."
This is so very wrong, how can governments keep on denying there is anything amiss? Maybe because as we are all finding out half of the MP's are shareholders in these companies.
The blog song for today is: "Anarchy in the UK" by the Sex Pistols
Jan 24, 2023broken-cfl, Lighting, Pollution, Well-Being
Compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) use 75% less energy than traditional incandescent bulbs and last about six times longer, but it’s no secret that CFLs contain a small amount of mercury (about 4 milligrams per bulb on average).
Like any glass product, CFLs tend to break occasionally, causing many homeowners to worry about potential mercury exposure and adverse health effects. So, just how dangerous is a broken CFL? Should you dig out the gas mask and Hazmat suit?
Earth911 sat down with John Rogers, a senior energy analyst for the Union of Concerned Scientists who specializes in clean energy, to get to the bottom of these pressing questions about CFL safety, cleanup, and disposal.
Oops … I Broke a CFL!
When CFLs first came out, there was a lot of news coverage about mercury in CFLs,
so an initial freak-out moment after breaking a bulb is understandable.
But clean energy expert John Rogers helped ease our minds. “This is a
manageable problem,” he assured us. “Most of the time they don’t break.
If they do break, there are procedures we follow.”
Any level of mercury exposure carries potential health concerns, but
due to the small amount of mercury and short duration of exposure, a
broken CFL is not likely to present a significant risk to you or your
family, Rogers told Earth911.
CFLs
save loads of energy when compared to incandescent light bulbs, but
they contain small amounts of mercury. Photo courtesy of Emilian Robert Vicol
“You’re talking under 5 milligrams of mercury,” he said. “That figure
won’t mean much to people, so to put it in perspective: if you think
about the mercury thermometers that I grew up with, it’s less than 1% of
the amount of mercury that was in one of those thermometers.”
Make note of the following cleanup steps in case you ever break a CFL bulb. Find the EPA’s detailed instructions here.
1. Before Cleanup
Have people and pets leave the room.
Air out the room for five to 10 minutes by opening a window or door.
Shut off the forced-air heating and cooling system, if you have one.
Collect the following materials to clean up the broken bulb: Stiff
paper or cardboard, sticky tape, damp paper towels or disposable wet
wipes (for hard surfaces), and an airtight container, such as a glass
jar with a metal lid or a resealable plastic bag.
2. During Cleanup
Do not vacuum. Vacuuming is not recommended unless
broken glass remains after all other cleanup steps have been taken, as
doing so may spread mercury-containing powder or mercury vapor.
Thoroughly scoop up glass fragments and powder using stiff paper or
cardboard. Use sticky tape, such as duct tape, to pick up any remaining
small glass fragments and powder.
Place the used tape in the glass jar or plastic bag. See detailed cleanup instructions from the EPA for more information, and for differences in cleaning up hard surfaces versus carpeting or rugs.
Place cleanup materials in a sealable container.
3. After Cleanup
Promptly place all bulb debris and cleanup materials, including any
vacuum cleaner bags used, outdoors in a trash container or protected
area until materials can be disposed of. Avoid leaving any bulb
fragments or cleanup materials indoors.
Use Earth911 to track down a recycling solution near you. CFLs are household hazardous waste and should not be disposed of with your regular garbage.
If weather and other conditions allow, continue to air out the room
where the bulb was broken and leave the heating and air conditioning
system shut off for several hours (a study conducted by the journal Science of The Total Environment found that the critical exposure period passes after four hours).
The Importance of CFL Recycling
Due to mercury content, it’s very important to dispose of CFLs properly. Whether they’re broken or not, they are hazardous waste and shouldn’t go in your regular waste bin. Some states actually ban the disposal of CFLs and other mercury-containing light bulbs in landfills. Luckily, CFL recycling
is readily available in most communities through retailer take-back
programs and local household hazardous waste (HHW) collection.
Use Earth911 Recycling Search to find a recycling solution in your ZIP code, and use caution when removing and recycling a burnt-out CFL.
The best solution is that we use [CFLs] until the end of
their life and then dispose of them in ways to capture that mercury,”
John Rogers said. “Part of what we need to do is educate people better
about the importance of recycling. That’s an easy thing we can do to
keep the mercury down to, essentially, zero.”
When it’s time to replace your old CFLs, increase your energy savings and reduce your environmental impact by choosing energy-efficient LED bulbs.
Originally published on January 11, 2013, this article was updated in January 2023.
Pin this for later!
Like all of their reports very interesting and informative. There is always a way to dispose of things properly,it is just that if it is not easy to do then I'm sorry to say that some people just cannot be bothered to take a little bit of time to do it.
The blog song for today is: "Strange Days" by the Doors
Ocean Robbins·Published November 25, 2022
· 8min read
Summary
There’s a new environmental trend in the food industry,
with a funny name: upcycling. Basically, it means taking ingredients
that would otherwise have been thrown out, and turning them into or
using them in new food products. But are upcycled foods safe? Are they
healthy? Can you actually make good food out of those scraps and
byproducts? And can it really help save the planet?
Have you ever made bread crumbs out of stale bread, and used them for
stuffing? If so, congratulations: You’re an upcycler! Ditto if you’ve
turned overripe bananas into banana bread, or vegetable scraps into soup
stock.
Your stuffing, banana bread, and soup may have been delicious, but
did you also pat yourself on the back for being environmentally
conscious and helping fight climate change? By keeping those items in your food supply, you didn’t have to buy more, and you kept them out of landfills.
While many environmental organizations focus on transportation and
energy consumption as the main contributors to climate change, the US food system is actually one of the most significant drivers of greenhouse gas emissions. So anything you can do to reduce the carbon footprint of your diet (like eating less or no meat) is a win for the planet.
Upcycling can be simple if you’re doing it in your own kitchen, but
it’s also happening at scale, in more and more industrial food settings.
Many companies are releasing upcycled food products carrying environmental claims
to address growing consumer concerns about planetary health. But
upcycling is a fairly new term when applied to food, first gaining
popularity in 2021, in the wake of increased concern for the planet that accompanied the COVID-19 pandemic.
So if you see an upcycled certification on a food item, does that
mean you should buy it? Is upcycled food good for you or the planet, or
just corporate greenwashing? And what are some ways to increase upcycling within your own home economics?
What Does Upcycled Food Mean?
Let’s start by defining the term. Upcycling basically means finding new, higher-value uses for items that would otherwise go to waste. It is distinct from recycling,
which is when something is broken down into base materials and then
turned into new products (like aluminum cans that are melted and go on
to become new aluminum cans, or plastic bottles that become fleece
fabric).
Examples
of ingredients that can be upcycled include sub-grade produce (i.e.,
bruised apples, carrots that look like horror movie monsters, and
misshapen tomatoes); scraps from food preparation (like onion skins and
potato peels); and byproducts from food processing.
The first two categories are pretty straightforward. A tomato that’s
too ugly to sell in a grocery store can still taste delicious in a sauce
or on a frozen pizza. The Ugly Company turns misshapen fruit into “Hello, I’m Ugly” dried fruit snacks.
And discarded scraps can be used as-is in formulations for soup and
sauces. But what about byproducts? What do they consist of?
Think of food products that contain ingredients that come from plants
— but aren’t the whole plant. For example, fruit juice comes from fruit
but leaves behind fiber. Tofu is made from soybeans but consists of
just curds. If you’ve ever made tofu at home, you’ve had to deal with
(toss or repurpose) the remaining fiber-rich pulp, also known as okara.
So what happens to the parts of those raw ingredients that don’t make
it into the product that ends up on the supermarket shelf? At worst,
they become garbage in a landfill. At best, until recently, maybe they
became compost for farms, ingredients for industrial processes, or feed for livestock.
But these remnants of food production can also live again as
ingredients in upcycled foods. The pulp that remains when juice is
pressed can add fiber to other foods. The okara left over from making
tofu can be turned into veggie patties and other types of faux meat.
Upcycling these byproducts can be a way to reduce food waste and help fight climate change by keeping food out of landfills.
What Does the Upcycled Certified Label Mean?
Upcycled Certified Labels from Upcycled Food Association
Driving this movement is the Upcycled Food Association
and their Upcycled Food Certified label. They award this certification
to food, beverage, and even personal care products that are made with
upcycled food ingredients. As the label gains public awareness and
acceptance, it’s hoped that consumers will embrace upcycled products by
choosing them instead of non-upcycled competitors.
Currently, there are three Upcycled Certified types: Ingredient, Product, and Minimal Content.
The “Upcycled Ingredients” label is reserved for ingredients that would
otherwise not have gone to human use or consumption, and consist of at
least 95% upcycled inputs. You probably won’t see this certification on a
consumer product; rather, companies sell these certified ingredients to
other companies to use in new products.
An example of a certified upcycled ingredient is FruitSmart,
which consists of upcycled fruit juices, purees, concentrates,
essences, fibers, seeds, seed oils, and seed powders. Another is SunOpta
(these companies apparently like sticking capital letters in the middle
of their names), which makes a powered oat protein ingredient called
OatGold from byproducts of oat milk production.
Once a product hits the market, it may be eligible for one of the
other two upcycled certified labels: Product and Minimal Content. Foods,
menu items, beverages, supplements, and pet foods, as well as cosmetic,
personal care, and household cleaning products can wear the Upcycled Certified Product label if at least 10% of their ingredients are upcycled.
You can tell which ingredients have been upcycled because they will
either be asterisked as upcycled (Bananas*) or described as such
(“upcycled bananas”) in the ingredients list.
Upcycled food examples include Chia Smash,
a jam made with superfoods and upcycled fruits, and snack foods like
Organic Banana Nubbins and Unsweetened Dried Mango sold by Imperfect Foods, using produce that would otherwise have gone to waste.
The third certification type, Minimal Content, indicates products with upcycled ingredient content of less than 10%.
Is Upcycled Food Sustainable?
So that all sounds great in theory — but does it work? Is upcycled
food truly sustainable? Well, of course, it matters to look at the
company it keeps. If a product was, say, 10% upcycled broccoli sprouts,
45% high fructose corn syrup, and 45% hydrogenated lard, and it was
shipped in a big styrofoam cooler, then with all due respect to broccoli
sprouts, you’d still have a hard time convincing me that the result was
either sustainable or healthy. But, in general, there are several
reasons to think that upcycling might be a big improvement over the
system as it currently operates.
First, organic matter in landfills releases potent greenhouse gasses,
including methane. Keeping these food ingredients out of landfills
means that we’re recycling the carbon they contain, which can help
mitigate climate chaos. In the US, at least eight states have laws requiring some reprocessing of food waste.
Second, food that’s upcycled replaces new food that would have to be grown, shipped, and processed. Decreasing food waste
decreases resource waste, including inefficient use of land and water,
and reduces carbon emissions from growing, transporting, and disposing
of food. Upcycling can allow our food system to get “more” out
of “less” by creating two or more products out of resources that
formerly produced just one.
Third, those thrown-away foods are often full of nutrients. Upcycling can harness the nutritional value of by-products that would otherwise have gone to waste.
The upcycled food certification process is still in its infancy, so
it’s hard to say what the true impact is on cutting emissions or
reducing food waste. However, the Food and Agriculture Organization of
the United Nations concluded that if food waste were its own country
(can you imagine how hard it would be for their tourist industry to
attract visitors?), it would be the third-largest emitter of greenhouse gasses.
While buying upcycled products can contribute to reducing food waste
or combating climate chaos, it’s certainly not the only way, or even the
most impactful, to make a positive difference in the world. In fact,
the single biggest step you can take toward that goal is to adopt a more plant-based diet. That’s a powerful way to free up more food for a hungry world and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Is Upcycled Food Safe — or Healthy?
iStock.com/zoranm
Whether upcycled food is good for the planet is separate from another
issue that might be on your mind — is it safe to eat? Since upcycled
food isn’t necessarily food that would have gone to human consumption,
it’s natural to wonder if it’s safe. And if it’s technically safe, is it
healthy?
In terms of safety, upcycled certified foods should be fine. The Upcycled Certified label has premarket approval
by the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) of the US Department
of Agriculture. The FSIS provides labeling ingredients guidance and
inspection methods to protect consumers from misbranding and unsafe
food.
The FSIS also requires a third-party supply chain audit to ensure
that foods come from a verified source. In this case, verification is
performed by Where Food Comes From, which also certifies products for the Non-GMO Project, among others.
So safety, check.
But what about health? The upcycled label has nothing to say about that. It doesn’t indicate that ingredients are organic, non-GMO, or pesticide-free
(although it doesn’t preclude those attributes either). Many upcycled
foods are also processed foods with unhealthy ingredients like refined
sugar, natural flavors, and so on. Some upcycled foods may use upcycled
animal products, like Blue Circle, which makes fish-shaped fish sticks
out of upcycled salmon.
While a certified upcycled label may be an indicator of
sustainability, it’s still important to read the Nutrition Facts and
ingredient labels before purchasing these (or any other) foods.
How to Upcycle Food at Home
As we saw at the beginning of this article, whether you choose to
purchase Upcycled Certified foods or not, you can take inspiration from
the movement by upcycling your own food at home. Here’s our article on tips and tricks for utilizing food scraps.
And, here are some recipes that will make efficient and delicious use
of some of the cooking byproducts you might have been wondering what to
do with.
Upcycled Food Recipes
Have you ever been curious about what to do with leftover veggie
pulp? What about peels, stems, and various plant scraps? We have an
eco-friendly and nourishing solution — become an upcycled food master
and harness every last bit of plant power with these simple and tasty
no-waste recipes!
1. Nut Milk Pulp Granola
Nut Milk Pulp Granola is plenty crunchy, naturally sweet, and spiced
with fragrant cinnamon that creates an enticingly nutty aroma (and
flavor) while it bakes in the oven. This no-waste recipe is a tasty and
nutritious way to use up leftover pulp from homemade almond or other nut
milks. And not only is it no-waste, but there are lots of ways to
customize it (check the Chef’s Notes!).
2. Dehydrated Juice Pulp Crackers
Curious what to do with all that leftover veggie pulp after making a
big, delicious batch of fresh veggie juice? Our suggestion — make
crunchy and tasty Dehydrated Juice Pulp Crackers! Complete with
wholesome plant-based nutrition, lots of fiber, and a savory umami
flavor, these crackers are a perfect solution to your food scrap
conundrum. Plus, they make a fun (and nourishing) vehicle to scoop up a
variety of scrumptious plant-based dips!
3. Veggie Scrap Bouillon
Turn veggie peelings, ends, and pieces into something amazing with
this nutrient- and fiber-rich Veggie Scrap Bouillon. This easy-to-make
recipe requires just a handful of ingredients and a food processor to
transform vegetable scraps into a whole-food veggie paste that is ideal
for adding concentrated and robust veggie flavor (plus plenty of fiber!)
to any dish where you’d use vegetable broth.
Upcycling Food Is a Positive!
Upcycled food is an emerging trend in the food industry — and a step
towards being more environmentally responsible. The upcycled
certification label is a way for consumers to identify brands that are
committed to reducing food waste and helping to mitigate climate chaos.
But Upcycled Certified foods don’t necessarily equal healthy foods. And
buying processed foods with upcycled ingredients isn’t the only way to
put a dent in food waste. You can also take inspiration from the
movement and upcycle your own food at home with minimal processing. And
if you want to walk lighter on the Earth, one of the simplest steps you
can take is to base your diet around whole plant foods. Whether they’re
upcycled or not, that can be a great way to reduce your environmental footprint, and be part of the solution.
I would rather upcyle my own food than buy anything from the shops, but it was a really interesting article, which gave me some new ideas!
The blog song for today is: "Where do I begin?" by Shirley Bassey
